Welcome
to my 2022/23 Week Fifteen Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report for those
competing in head-to-head categories or rotisserie leagues. There are both
standard and deep league acquisition targets. This report focuses on the best
options among those who are likely to be available in your league as opposed to
the universally owned players. There are 10 recommendations in total, 2
goalies, 2 defensemen, and 6 forwards. Some of these are only short-term
targets, while others you may want to keep permanently.
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Best
Standard League Adds (25% to 65% Yahoo ownership):
1) Brandon Hagel, TB, (59% Yahoo ownership): If you're competing in
one of the 41% of Yahoo leagues where Brandon Hagel is still available, you
need to rectify that. He was recently on one of my teams but I dropped him
after seeing he had been demoted to the 3rd line, but he’s back up with
Point and Kucherov, still on the top unit power play. The dual-eligible winger
has 14 PTS in his last 12 games with 33 shots. Sadly the hitting has dried up.
I’ve also been banging the Matty Beniers drum most of the season and he’s a quality
option this week, but the position eligibility makes him a tough add.
2) Pheonix Copley, LA, (54% Yahoo ownership): The window to add
Copley is closing, as the journeyman netminder has now won 9 of his last 10
games. I have a waiver claim to add him in my one league where he’s still
available, now that I’m looking to dump my Kochetkov stock with Freddy Andersen
back. Copley still only has 40 career starts at age 30 and can turn back into a
pumpkin at any moment, but enjoy the party while it lasts. I also like Anton
Forsberg this week, winning 3 of his last 4 games with a shutout. Ottawa has a
good schedule and Cam Talbot has been struggling lately.
3) Rickard Rakell, Pit, (60% Yahoo ownership): The most streaming
friendly schedule this week has to be Pittsburgh (Philly notwithstanding)
playing Mon-Wed-Fri-Sun. There are two glaring options, Rakell playing 2nd line
with Malkin and top power play (6 PTS, 35 shots, 18 hits in last 11 GP), or
Bryan Rust playing top line with Crosby and 2nd power play unit (8 PTS, 25
shots, 8 hits in last 11 GP). Rakell is eligible at more positions with better
peripheral stats, so he gets the top billing, but both are solid options for
the week ahead.
4) Erik Gustafsson, Wsh, (64% Yahoo ownership): There are 3
defensemen who are barely under 65% owned who will be playing 4 games that you
need to add if they’re on your waiver wire. Gustafsson, Shayne Gostisbehere,
and Adam Larsson (all of which have been featured on this report in recent
weeks). I’m currently holding Gostisbehere stock, but he’s cooled off the last
2 weeks. Larsson is who you want if you need shots and hits. You could go with
Ivan Provorov, who isn’t particularly hot but has 5 games scheduled, and is
more widely available.
5) Tom Wilson, Wsh, (55% Yahoo ownership): Tom Wilson has returned
from injury and now finds himself on both my fantasy teams. In his first 2
games back, he has no points and 10 hits. He really only has value right now in
leagues that count hits, as he’s playing 3rd line and 2nd power play
with no Ovechkin exposure. He’s not going to be a 50-point player with that
deployment. If he doesn’t get back with Ovie soon, I might stream him out
sooner rather than later. If you want points, this is a good week to add Kevin
Hayes, with Philly playing 5 times.
Honorable Mentions Adam Larsson, Bryan Rust, Matty Beniers, Anton
Forsberg, Kevin Hayes
Last Week: Max Pacioretty, Teuvo Teravainen, Adam Larsson, Andrei
Kuzmenko, Pheonix Copley
Best Deep League Adds (under 25% ownership):
1) Cam York, Phi, (3% Yahoo ownership): Cam York is available in
97% of fantasy leagues, is playing top unit power play for the suddenly on fire
Flyers, who have a 5-game week ahead. The peripheral stats leave much to be
desired, but he has a high ceiling with the opportunity and the volume he’ll be
getting this week. If you care more about shots and hits, you could go with
Jeremy Lauzon in Nashville. He might only have averaged 15:25 minutes per game
in his last 8, which is low for a defenseman, but he also has 3 PTS, 15 shots,
and 31 hits in those 8 matches.
2) Samuel Ersson, Phi, (14% Yahoo ownership): The Flyers have a
busy week coming up, including against some weak opponents. Carter Hart is back
from injury but Ersson has earned crease time with a .924 SV% in his first 5
starts. He’s available in 86% of leagues and could deliver 2 wins (especially
if he starts against Chicago and Anaheim). He personally delivered some painful
gambling defeats for me. Buffalo also has a good schedule ahead, but have a
3-headed monster in goal. They’re good spot-start streamers if you can figure
out who is going to get the net any given game.
3) Scott Laughton, Phi, (19% Yahoo ownership): You’re probably
noticing a Philadelphia Flyers theme emerging here. Scott Laughton might only
be listed on the 3rd line and 2nd power play, but in his last 12 GP, he
has notched 13 PTS (4 on the power play), with 17 shots and 24 hits. He’s
eligible at center and wing, with a busy schedule ahead. I’m not a believer in
the long-term sustainability of his current point production, but I like him as
a streamer for the upcoming week. I also really like Juuso Parssinen, who is
centering the top line and top power play in Nashville (11 PTS in his last 14
GP) and is available in 97% of Yahoo leagues.
4) Morgan Frost, Phi, (5% Yahoo ownership): Would you be interested
in adding a player eligible at multiple positions, playing top line, top power
play on a team that’s won 6 of their last 7 games and will be playing 5 games
in the week ahead? If the answer is yes, then you should stream a 95% available
Morgan Frost (5 PTS in his last 6 GP). Or you could go with his linemate on
both units, James van Riemsdyk, who is eligible at both wings and has scored 7
PTS in his last 12 GP with 32 shots. THEY PLAY 5 GAMES! Owen Tippet is playing
top line and 2nd power play.
5) Joel Farabee, Phi, (4% Yahoo ownership): Okay, maybe I’m getting
a little carried away with my love of the Philadelphia Flyers this week (they
could very well be dead tired by games 4 and 5), but the team is on fire,
scoring 29 goals in their last 7 games. All these Flyer players rose to the top
of my watch list because the team has been scoring so many goals lately.
Farabee plays with Konecny, who is the hottest player on the team and probably
not available in your league. If you hate Philly, maybe try Nino Niederreiter
in Nashville, with 10 PTS, 43 shots, and 28 hits in his last 14 GP.
Honorable Mentions: James van Riemsdyk, Nino Niederreiter, Jusso
Parssinen, Jeremy Lauzon, Buffalo goalies
Last Week: Kailer Yamamoto, Mattias Ekholm, Nino Niederreiter, Craig
Anderson, Nick Schmaltz
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